It was possibly one of the most controversial axing decisions in the history of EastEnders but boss Sean O’Connor has explained why he felt the need to write out Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell and give them a memorable exit.

Believing that they had been hit by too much tragedy, he decided to bring an end to the iconic characters in dramatic scenes which saw them drown in a swimming pool after the pair enjoyed Ronnie’s wedding day to Jack Branning.

The decision divided viewers, with many fans still believing there to be a place in Walford for the pair while others commended the bold decision to finish off two such popular characters.

When we sat down to speak with Sean about his vision for EastEnders, the topic of Ronnie and Roxy – and his axings in general which included the Cokers, Lee Carter, Claudette Hubbard and Aunt Babe – was brought up.

He told us: ‘One of the reasons that the show has survived for so long it that it has been brilliant at renewing itself. That’s the cycle of a soap opera. We need new blood to explore new ideas and new themes, but we also need new faces to refresh the established characters too. I had very clear ideas about the sort of new characters I thought the show needed.

‘I feel that when you bring in a new core character, they should have a solid long-term story at least sketched out. They can’t just come in and hang around the Square, hoping for the best; you need to know exactly what you’re doing with them.

‘It’s made us really scrutinise what the new characters are for and where they will go, which is why things take time. And you want the characters that you have to appear in the show in lots of different stories and lots of different scenes. As well as being in a big story about adultery or fraud, they need to be versatile enough to be convincing popping into the Minute Mart for a pint of milk. You want them to have both humour and drama in their lives so then they feel less like characters in a soap and more like mates that you visit four times a week.’

He continued: ‘When Ronnie and Roxy burst onto the Square all those years ago, they were amazing. A real breath of fresh air – and great soap characters. But as they were so popular they were given a huge amount of plot. By the time I arrived, the characters were exhausted. Ronnie became essentially a tragic character. Can you really see Ronnie popping in to the Minute Mart for a pint of milk after sobbing her heart out after the death of yet another child? But we can with a character like Stacey, who as a character, has had time to rest between her big dramatic stories.

‘I felt it was fairer to Sam and Rita to say ‘you have been extraordinary for the show- EastEnders legends- so we’re going to make your exit a great one to remember.’ There was no way that the Mitchell sisters would leave in the back of a taxi!

‘And it is hard to say goodbye to great characters and also to wonderful actors. We genuinely do think really hard about who is going, who is staying, who is dying and who isn’t. Because you’re not just dealing with the characters your audience loves but you’re dealing with actors’ lives as well. And we work with them every day, long hours – over many years; they’re friends. But sometimes you have to make really tough decisions for the show because EastEnders is bigger than all of us.

(Picture: BBC)

‘Ultimately, when we are attempting to refresh the show, everything we’re trying to do is to ensure the show’s future and stability – building up the core clans, making sure we have the right characters to tell new, challenging and entertaining stories. And it takes a long time to get there. Soap opera has a unique ecology – it’s not like any other TV format because we have to renew the show whilst it’s still broadcasting. It’s not like dramas such as Line of Duty or Broadchurch where you can recharge the show’s batteries between series.’

Check out part one of the interview in which Sean gives more details on the new family, explains his many changes and discusses what is left to do.

Check out part two of the interview in which Sean gives specific character spoilers and reveals what’s ahead for the likes of Max, Kathy, Stacey and Phil.

Check out part three of the interview in which Sean explains his axings and drops further storyline hints for the likes of Lauren and Whitney.